Destin 2014

This year our family decided to stay in Destin instead of Navarre. I wanted clear, calm water with a long sandbar and mom wanted to stay right on the beach (I was not at all opposed to that idea). We got exactly that! After a lot of Internet searches for places on the beach that we could afford we found this townhome......

It is the Sanddollar Townhome on Miramar Beach.  It was a little older of a place than we normally stayed, but it turned out to be just perfect. The bottom level had a huge deck with shower and lounging chairs and the owners provided a ton of beach toys. The next level up had two bedrooms joined with a bathroom. Bedrooms each contained a queen bed  and futon plus tvs. The bonus about this level is the porch swing with a perfect view.  The next level up was the main living area and kitchen (half bath) with a great walk-out deck for grilling out! Beautiful view.

The top level was the master suite and fourth bedroom with two full baths. The master suite had a sitting are with a large window facing the beach. Perfect.

We seriously could not have found a better place and since we went before Memorial Weekend we got a great deal on it. We met the owners and they were very friendly and accommodating. Our biggest complaint/annoyance was that the kitchen didn't have a pantry. What?! It was kind of a small kitchen but with a unit housing that many people you have to have a pantry. We cleaned out a cabinet and made one that worked, but come on!

The kids successfully enjoyed the beach and waves all week long. The townhome also provided a plastic pool that we took down to the water for the kids to splash around in, but they honestly enjoyed the ocean more!  We met some neighbors with 8 kids and I think their little one spent more time with us in the pool=)

As you can see, the little AND big kids enjoyed the waves!

As the photographer of this next series of pictures I just couldn't resist the chance to capture this....

*notice how Evan realizes what's coming & I'm not about to warn them

*HA! Poppi's reaction cracks me up!

*And these last two are truly my favorite....Dad's expression says one thing, "You dirty dog!"

I was laughing so hard and it could not have been timed out any better. Luck!

JZ had so much fun in the sand and water! His first beach trip was a huge success. He was giddy and ran with wreckless abandon towards the waves! Getting knocked down and water soaked didn't bother him a bit. He just laughed and kept going back for more. The camera was loving him!

Oh my goodness I want to squeeze him!

Natalie also really enjoyed the sand and water and got very brave walking into the waves up to her waist. She wasn't, however, so cooperative for the camera so our pictures are minimal=/

Funny tidbit.  Natalie is wearing the same bathing suit that she wore 2 years ago. Not like, Oh that suit is so cute we will buy it in a bigger size now. No. The same suit when she was 18 months old. SMH

The highlight of our trip was the next to last morning when we finally saw dolphins!

This picture does not even do it justice. Right where that dolphin was swimming was where we had been swimming all week.  It literally could not have been deeper than 4 ft. He was practically walking the sandbar, folks! I have been to Florida many many times and have NEVER seen them so close! All the kids got to see the dolphins (we saw 4) so we felt the trip was complete=)

I won't lie that I initially thought it was a shark. Our neighbor friends had been paddle-boarding right in the area before it changes to dark blue and had seen a hammerhead shark just a few days before. I was relieved what we saw was a dolphin=)

Stay tuned to part 2...